City Of Stow: Community Giving At Its Best – Check Out What's Happening In Stow

Press release from the City of Stow:

2021-11-10

The holidays are an especially difficult time for the most vulnerable populations among us. The City of Stow has a plethora of giving projects happening in the community during the upcoming holiday season, and the hope is that our most vulnerable populations will receive some relief from the stresses of life, and enjoy the season.

STUFF THE TRUCK:  The 7th Annual Stuff the Truck event Sponsored by Family First Moving & Acker-Moore Memorial Post will benefit The Freedom House and our Local Veterans.  This drive-thru event will be held on Saturday, November 20, 2021 from 9:00AM – 4:00PM at the Acker-Moore Memorial Post, 3733 Fishcreek Road, Stow, OH 44224.

Accepted items for donation include new clothing items, canned or boxed food items, Gift Cards – ACME, Giant Eagle, Meijer, Target, & VISA, and monetary donations in cash or check made out to AMMP. The organizations thank the community for the support as do the many veterans who will receive assistance.

SPREAD THE CHEER: The Stow Senior Commission has projects lined up to help spread cheer among senior citizens in our community. These projects will serve seniors in area assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

The first project being planned is to send cheerful cards or letters to Stow seniors, not just during the holidays but throughout the year. “The aim of this project is to let seniors know that they matter, that their community cares and wishes them well, that they are special and are an important part of our community,” said Debbie Luchka, Stow Senior Commission Chairperson.

Writers can share positive thoughts or moments to spread that positive feeling to those who receive the cards. The commission also invites children to color pictures. Contributors may use their own cards or the commission willing supply them for you, available for pick-up at Stow City Hall lobby.  These and other similar, uplifting sentiments are sure to brighten the day for senior residents.

The second project includes gathering donated items to put in “Care and Share” bags to be distributed to local seniors by the Stow Senior Commission. The commission is well on its way with collecting monetary donations to cover the cost of items needed for the deliveries.

Cards, letters, and monetary donations for “Care and Share” bags, should be dropped off in the lobby at Stow City Hall.  You can also arrange pick up by emailing Kathy Lewis at klewis@stow.oh.us.

The Stow Senior Commission is looking forward to bringing smiles to the faces of our senior citizens and letting them know that our community values them.

NO ONE SHOULD SLEEP OUT IN THE COLD! – Local communities have joined with Stow for a collection drive beginning November 22 through December  18.

Again this year, the Mayors of Stow, Munroe Falls, Silver Lake and Cuyahoga Falls are joining forces with the Peter Maurin Center to spearhead a community collection drive in their respective communities to collect donated cold weather items for the homeless. The Knights of Columbus #2362 have joined the team this year as well.

The drive is specifically intended to help the unsheltered population — people who live in spaces not intended for habitation rather than going in to local shelters — which increased last year due to COVID.

Last year, Mike Rauh, Peter Maurin Center volunteer, and Stow Mayor John Pribonic spearheaded this inter-community drive. All four communities were overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from their communities.

“What I heard from residents is that they knew this was a problem, but they just didn’t know how to help,” Pribonic added. “This gave them a connection and once they knew how to help, the turnout was incredible.”

The Peter Maurin Center is a nonprofit organization that offers hot meals, shelter, clothes and comfort to unsheltered and marginalized people.

For this year, each of the four communities will have donation bins in their city halls so that residents may drop off items during business hours. They will also held two weekend drive-thru events to collect items and monetary donations at the curb.

Drive-thru event dates are:

December 4, 10AM – 2PM – Stow & Silver Lake City Halls
December 11, 10AM – 2PM – Munroe Falls & Cuyahoga Falls City Halls

Only items from the specified list will are accepted for donation, and the items MUST be new.

DONATION ITEMS NEEDED AND ACCEPTED – MUST BE NEW

• Boots – waterproof, men’s (10-12), women’s (all sizes)
• Hoodies – men’s w/zipper, XL, XXL (Fruit of the Loom – cotton)
• Flashlight and Batteries – any
• Backpacks – daypack adult type – sizes: 20L or 40L
• Hand Warmers – many needed
• Socks – large athletic or wool – many needed
• Gloves – thermal
• Boxer Briefs – men, all sizes, Gildan covered waistband multipack
• Underwear – women, all sizes, cotton briefs
• Meal Cards – McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, etc.
• One Day Akron Metro Bus Passes
• Money – 100% goes towards the homeless
• Monetary donations can be made to Knights of Columbus #2362 – via Paypal only.

Mayors Pribonic, Armstrong, Hovey and Walters thank you in advance for your generosity!

TOY COLLECTION:  Residents of Pambi Farms in Stow traditionally hold a toy collection and give to a charity. This year, the neighborhood wants to make sure the toys go to local families. With the assistance of Mayor John Pribonic, the City’s Fire and Police Departments, Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools, and the neighbors in Pambi Farms will do just that. On December 11 from 10am – 1pm, a parade made up of Stow Police and Fire will travel through the neighborhood with Santa at the helm, and they will stuff the school bus provided by Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools with the collection of donated items. From there, our school system will make sure families, most in need, are assisted this holiday season.

This press release was produced by the City of Stow. The views expressed here are the author’s own.